Meeting Your Heroes
by Shirerose
Summary: Steve goes to Queens and Peter Parker babbles (again).


I would have loved to see Peter and Cap have a conversation when they weren't fighting each other (though fighting Peter basically includes a conversation). And I thought it highly likely that Cap being Cap would check up on the teenager that had been dragged into the fight. So naturally I wrote one.

* * *

 **Meeting Your Heroes**

 **"** Cap... Captain? Big fan."

-Peter Parker (who apparently finds verbs unnecessary)

* * *

Peter's new and very exciting wrist-sized holographic projector (if that was all it was) was simply to cool to leave untouched. Peter himself was no slouch when it came to technology as his dumpster-diving habits and hi-tech webs bore witness. He still laughed when he remembered the face that the Falcon had pulled at his technobabble.

Which brought him right back to everything he had been trying to avoid for the last three weeks. Sure teasing the Falcon had been cool and fighting the guy with the metal arm had been freaky awesome but it couldn't make up for the mess that had resulted.

Tony Stark had been careful to get him home without anyone being the wiser (and wouldn't that Ross guy be mad if he knew). He was safe, Aunt May was safe, the War Machine was going to be all right. Nobody had died. Everybody lives.

Except the Avengers themselves. The news had been all over it. Vison, Ironman and War Machine were all that was left and none of them seemed inclined to do anything at all at the moment.

The rest of the Avengers were escaped criminals, their ally (friend?) Bucky, the metal-arm guy was still a wanted assassin and their leader was the subject of an international witch-hunt and defamation campaign.

Peter had finally met his hero (forget the part about stealing his shield) and could only watch as the world's first superhero disappeared and his legacy was dragged through the mud.

Peter wasn't really sure what he had been expecting (what was that saying about never meeting your heroes?). But the young man with the weary, (sad) conflicted, (desperate) eyes and pig-headed stubbornness wasn't it.

It was weird, you grow up reading stories (true and false) about someone and you don't expect them to rise up from a chunk of ice and help save the world. Except it happened.

You watch someone save the world from a TV screen and they seem so invincible and suddenly your standing in front of them and they are somehow larger and smaller in person.

The monologue in his head was getting too confusing (and depressing) so he turned his laptop on searching for more footage from the Captain's "Civil War", (Mr. Stark's term not his).

Some of the cameras must have escaped unscathed because he had already found tons of cool footage from the airport plus some from the whole car-chase/how-not-to-kill-the-people-shooting-at-you lesson after the Winter Soldier got loose.

"Do you look yourself up on Youtube often?"

Peter jumped guiltily and slammed the cover of his laptop down his eyes searching the darkest corners of his room.

Nothing.

"I'm coming in now, try not to entangle me in your sticky web stuff. Again."

Peter had just enough time to realize that he recognized the voice before a dark shape swung silently up through his window. For a second he thinks that Captain America (Steve?) won't be able to fit through his window (should that be embarrassing?) but then he does and he is standing there unconcernedly with his hands in his pockets.

Peter isn't really sure what to say. He (at least) hasn't learned any protocols for greeting ex-superheroes who have three-quarters of the world out for their blood.

Who he tripped and tried to capture at his last meeting.

And didn't know his real name last he checked (Oops).

"You said you were from Queens." says Cap smiling (maybe he doesn't mind the shield-stealing).

"Ummm…" said Peter.

"Nobody followed me." continues The World's First Superhero and Wanted Criminal.

Peter needs to stop thinking in caps. (And he didn't even try for that pun.)

Then his mouth opens itself and begins embarrassing him.

"Wow! I'm really sorry about taking your shield and tying you up…" he babbles, "I was just trying to impress Mr. Stark and he seemed like he knew what he was doing and I didn't really want to fight in a war and nobody was supposed to get hurt and…"

Cap doesn't seem alarmed at the barrage of words and he nods in a sympathetic way so Peter finishes with a rush.

"And how did you find me?"

Cap smiles and sits on a clean piece of floor.

"I had some help" he offers gently, " You know people borrow my shield all the time, so I'm not offended and if it helps I didn't want to fight a war either. How old are you?"

Peter grimaces, "Nineteen?"

Cap shakes his head ruthfully.

"At least don't lie to me, I know how that works."

"Fifteen."

"Much better. How are you?"

Peter wasn't expecting that question so he says the first thing that comes to mind, which is also incidentally, the truth.

"I'm don't know? I thought I was doing the right thing but I am not so sure now."

"If it helps," Steve offers, "I think that we are all in the same boat. I couldn't sign the Accords as they were and I couldn't let them kill my friend or loose five more assassins on the world but I keep thinking that there must have been another way. I was also asking if you were alright, Ross doesn't know your identity, right?"

Peter shook his head.

Steve's eyes which have been flickering between friendly and sorrowful become stern.

"Please, if anyone else finds out, if you or your aunt are in any danger, let Tony or I know. Ross is ruthless and he won't care that you were helping Tony."

Peter does not frighten easily (how could he with his job?) but Steve is deadly serious and Peter believes him and promises.

It's nice to know that the Captain doesn't forget anyone, even someone who stole his shield and Peter says so.

The other man smiles without any joy.

"I'm not Captain of anything or anyone now."

"I think" says Peter and he _is_ smiling, "that you will always be the Captain no matter what Ross or the media think. I know I would follow you."

Peter gets a real smile this time.

"Maybe, when you're older."


End file.
